former is not fo ftrong, and has not opportunity to be acted out, as the latter is. Sin or an evil inclination, took place and existed in the heart of Adam, before he determined to eat, and did eat of the fruit which was farbidden. The very firft motion, in his heart, tending that way, was a finful motion, though it was not perfected or completed till it produced the overt act. Who can fay that this motion or inclination, which may be called luft, was stronger or had more activity in it, than the evil motion which may exift in the heart of an infant; which may be fufficient to produce the most horrid mental and external acts of fin, when capacity and opportunity are given? St. James fays, "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luft, and enticed. Then when luft hath conceived, it bringeth forth fin." He does not mean that luft is not fin; for this is contrary to all reason, and cannot be true. And if we fhould fuppofe this to be afferted or implied, we fhould make this Apoftle contradict St. Paul, who fays, " I had not known fin but by the law: For I had not known. luft, except the law had faid, Thou shalt not covet." Here he speaks of luft and fin, as fynonimous, by which he means one and the fame thing. St. James, when he diftinguishes luft from fin, intends by the latter, what is called, an overt act of fin, or fin when it is finished or completed in overt acts, agreeable to the following expreffion. Sin, when it is finifhed." It is begun in the first and leaft motion of luft, or evil inclination and motion in the heart, and finished by being acted out in an overt act of the will. Both are actual fin, yet there is a diftinction which may be made.

་

The existence of fin in the heart of a child, as foon as it is capable of any thing of a moral nature, can be as well accounted for, and as eafily, as the fin of an adult perfon, or as the firft exiftence of fin in the heart of Adam. The former being as confiftent with the divine perfec

*

kind are wholly oppofed to the character of Chrift, which they could not be, if they had the leaft degree of moral rectitude, or inclination to that which is right. Our Lord further fays, "Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, in my name, because you belong to Chrift, verily I fay unto you, he shall not loose his reward." If he who exercises fo much regard to Chrift, as to give a cup of water for his fake, to one of his difciples, fhall be faved; then men have not by nature the leaft inclination to embrace him, but must be his enemies, which indeed is abundantly declared, both by Chrift and his Apoftles. "He that is not with me, is against me. Ye fhall be hated of all men, for my name's fake. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." By the world, is meant mankind in general. To hate Chrift, implies a mind not only deftitute of all right difpofition; but under the dominion of a ftrong evil propenfity. St. Paul fays, "The carnal mind is enmity against God. In me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." The carnal mind and the flesh are the fame, and ftand opposed to the mind renewed by the fpirit of God in regeneration. It is faid, the natural man receiveth not the things of the fpirit of God: For they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned. But he that is fpiritual, judgeth all things." As the natural man is opposed to the fpiritual man, that is, a true chriftian, it must mean man in his natural ftate in which he is born, or the world of mankind; which is confirmed by our Saviour's faying the fame which is here faid of the natural man, of mankind, as diftinguished from his difciples. "I will pray the Father, and he fhall give you another comforter, that he abide with may ever; even the fpirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it feeth him not, neither knoweth him; but

you

ye

for

ye know him, for he dwelleth with you." This represents man as not having the leaft degree of true taste and difcerning of mind with refpect to things of a moral, fpiritual nature, which is the fame with being deftitute of all moral rectitude, or holiness. Nothing but total depravity, can render men wholly blind to fpiritual things, and fo as to be opposed to them, and refufe to receive them. This is confirmed by what Chrift says,* "Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God." He has no true difcerning and underftanding refpecting it; but is wholly in the dark. Nothing but viciousness or depravity of mind, can thus blind them; and a being deftitute of every degree of conformity to the law of God. This is afferted by St. John,+"Every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God.” “Love is the fulfilling of the law," which requires nothing but It is necessary to have this love, in order to fee and know God. And confequently this is neceffary in order to fee the fpirit of God; for he is God; and in order to know the things of the spirit of God, and fee the kingdom of God. And he who has this love does know God, and receives the things of the fpirit. But all who are not born of God and faved by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft, are wholly without every degree of this kind of love; for every one that loveth, is born of God. Therefore all who are not born of God, are wholly without every degree of conformity to the law of God, or of real holinefs; confequently, are wholly depraved or finful.

LOVE.

This fact, the total depravity of mankind, is confirmed by experience and obfervation. Mankind have given this character of themselves, in all ages of the world, not only that they are finners; but that there is none that doth good, no not one, unless he be renewed by divine grace,

grace, and is made a new creature, by being created in Chrift Jefus, unto good works.*

II. Ir is of importance to obferve, That the total moral depravity and finfulness of mankind, which by divine conftitution, takes place in confequence of the fin of their common father, is as much their own fin, and they are confequently as anfwerable and blameable for it, as if this their finfulness had taken place in any other or different way that is conceivable or poffible.

Indeed, it is a plain contradiction to fay, or suppose, that any perfon's moral depravity or fin is not his own fin, and that all the blame and ill defert of it does not lie. upon him, for if it be not his fin, and he is not answerable for it, it is not fin or moral depravity, but must be of a different and contrary nature, and confiftent with innocence and moral perfection; and confequently cannot fubject the perfon to any blame or defert of evil.

Therefore to talk, or think, of the total or partial moral depravity of mankind, as not being wholly their own depravity or fin, and they not wholly accountable for it, and as if they are not odious and ill deferving in proportion to the degree of their moral corruption or finfulness, is most abfurd, and tends only to blind and delude.

If the natural capacity and powers of mankind were debased and funk, and become much lefs, and more feeble, independent of any moral depravity or finfulness of theirs, this would not be their fin; nor could they be anfwerable or blamed for it. And if, in confequence of their being the children of Adam, and of his fin, they had loft their rational powers, and all natural capacity, neceffary to constitute them moral agents; this could

not

That thofe appearances and things which are found in mankind in general, which have been by fome confidered as true virtue and real goodnets, and produced as an argument that mankind are not wholly depraved, are not true virtue, is proved in Prefident Edward's Differtation on the nature af true virtue.

not render them finful or blameable in the leaft degree; and, by the supposition, they would be utterly incapable of either. The conflituted confequence and effect of the fin of Adam, as it refpects his pofterity, is their total moral depravity or finfulness; and not the removal or debafing their natural powers of mind in the leaft degree, any farther than the corruption and finfulness of their hearts has influence to prevent the proper ufe of their understanding, and natural powers of mind with which they are endowed; and they are by this moral depravity, perverted and improved to the purpofe of fin and rebellion against God. Therefore nothing is neceffary in order to restore man to the perfect poffeffion of his natural powers, and the proper exercife and ufe of them, but the removal of the moral corruption of his heart, and reftoration to the perfect exercise of holiness: Which moral corruption is in every inftance and degree of it, wholly his own corruption and fin, in whofe heart it takes place, and he is blameable and anfwerable for it all, be it more or lefs; and it is impoffible it should be otherwife, as has been obferved and proved. But as this matter is liable. to be misunderstood, and many difficulties refpecting it have much embarraffed the minds of not a few, it is proper to give it a more particular attention.

1. The finfulness of mankind being connected with the fin of Adam, as the conflituted confequence of it, does not in any respect, or in the leaft degree, make it lefs their own fin, or render them the lefs answerable and blameworthy for it.

The previous certainty that they will all fin, however, and in whatever way this becomes certain, whether by the divine decree, or conflitution, or whatever, cannot render it lefs their own fin, or them lefs guilty, than if there were no certainty that they would fin antecedent to their actually finning. This has been confidered and proved in a former chapter, and cannot be confiftently denied

by